FHR-8-300 (11-78) United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entries—complete applicable sections_______________ 1. Name historic Montana State Capitol Building and/or common Same as above 2. Location street & number Cap i to 1 Comp 1 ex not for publication city, town Helena vicinity of congressional district state Mor.ta:i; code a 30 county L&wis & clark 3. Classification Category Ownership Status Present Use district x public ^ occupied agriculture museum X building(s) private unoccupied commercial park structure both work in progress educational private residence site Public Acquisition Accessible entertainment religious object in process yes: restricted X government scientific being considered X yes: unrestricted industrial transportation no military other; 4. Owner of Property name rlon t ana Depa r t man c of Adm i n i s t r a t1 on street & number KitchslJ Building, Capitol Complex city, town Helena vicinity of state Montana 5. Location of Legal Description courthouse, registry of deeds, etc. gnd Clark 'r street & number city, town Helena state Montana 6. Representation in Existing Surveys title has this property been determined elegible? __ yes no date federal state __ county local depository for survey records city, town state 7. Description Condition Check one Check one excellent deteriorated unaltered _ X original site — X_good ruins X altered moved date fair unexposed Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance The Montana State Capitol Building is located in Helena, Montana, on a hill sloping down to and overlooking the Prickly Pear Valley. It lies within the Capitol Complex, a cluster of state government office buildings, and is immediately surrounded by 12i acres of landscaped grounds. The Capitol building's neo-classical appearance has origins in a late 19th century movement in American architecture that called itself the "American Renaissance". The Capitol's symmetry, its monumental proportions and its smooth surfaces are features generally associated with the movement's neo-classical style and show the influence of the Rhode Island and Minnesota Capitol buildings, both considered among the movement's most important structures. The Capitol was built in two phases. The original building was begun in 1899 and completed in 1902. It was 260' x 150', 90' high at the wings, 160' high at the top of the dome and constructed of Montana sandstone. Matching east and west wings built of locally cut granite were added in 1909, expanding the building to 46V in length. The wings complement the appearance of the original building. The Capitol is compactly massed and generally rectangular in shape, consisting of five connected blocks; the four flanking blocks and their connecting sections are four stories tall; the central block is five stories tall and topped by a square platform that is framed by pediments and capped with a copper dome. (See Photo #1) A broad sandstone portico is located at the second level of the central block of the building, over the front entrance (See Photo #2). It is approached by a 35' wide granite stairway with ornamented light standards. The portico has five fluted 25' high ionic columns. The columns support an entablature with a frieze upon which is carved "MONTANA". The entablature is surmounted by four large consoles. Between the consoles are three decorative panels; on the central panel is a bas relief "M" set against a bas relief background of two crossed torches and a garland wreath. On the left and right panels, also in bas relief, are the years "1889 and 1899", respectively, representing the year Montana achieved statehood, and the year construction of the Capitol building began. The consoles reach to the fourth story and provide a base for a paneled pedestal tfcat is flanked by tfto giant consoles which in turn are flanked by-two ornamented urns. The twin double doors in the portico are topped with transoms and a large semi­ circular window with radiating mull ions (See Photo #2). The semi-circular window is flanked by two "oiels de boeuf- windows." The portico itself is flanked by four windows. The second level windows have swan necked pediments, and the third level pair has swan necked pediments containing a stone heraldry. The four giant consoles at the fourth level are flanked by two registers with punched out stone frames. The main rear entrance to the Capitol building is also located in the central block (See Photo #3). Above the ground level entry are two ionic columns engaged as pilasters, which in turn are topped by a pedimented entablature. The base of the pediment is formed by the central block's cornice, and the pediment is backed by the section's parapet or attic story. A semi-circular art glass window lies between the pilasters. A recently built one story glass foyer extends from the rear entrance. FHR-8-300 (11-78) United States Department off the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory — Nomination Form Continuation sheet _____________________ Item number 7 __________ Page 1 In addition to the ionic columns on the front portico and rear entrance, there are also a number of two story ionic columns engaged as pilasters on the 1899 wings. Also, two story ionic colonades form inset pavillions on the three full sides of each of the 1909 wings. (See Photo The exterior of the ground floor of the Capitol is composed of rusticated smooth ashlar. The ground floor windows in the original section are topped with rusticated smooth ashlar lintels, and the ground floor windows in the 1909 wings have rusticated smooth ashlar relieving arches. A string course with cyma reversa molding encircles the Capitol above the ground floor. (See Photos #1 , 3 & *0 The smooth walls of the second and third level are composed of smooth ashlar. The second and third levels of the 1899 wings have a symmetrical order of protruding stone frame windows along the front and rear facades. The protruding sills of the second level windows extend to form a string course that encircles the building just above the string course that tops the ground floor (See Photo #1). The windows at the second level of the 1909 wings flank the wing's pavilions and are topped with pedimented entablatures. There is a stone heraldry in the tympanum of the pediments, and small consoles bracketing the pediments. (See Photo #k] The third and attic story levels of the 1899 section are separated by a string course with ovola molding. Above the string course at the attic story level is a frieze with a band of symmetrically ordered iron grill registers. The cornice topping the frieze has a band of cyma reversa molding, a derrt i 1 course and ovola molding. A high smooth ashlar parapet rises above the cornice. The parapets at the front of the 1899 wings are divided by posts, with intervening panels of bas relief heraldry. (See Photo #1) Between the third and attic story levels of the 1909 wings are a string course with cyma reversa molding, a frieze, a cornice with a band of ovola molding, a dentil course, and a band of cyma reversa molding. The attic story is surmounted by a high smooth ashlar parapet. Above the pavillions on the 1909 wings the parapet is made up of a stone balustrade. (See Photo #4) Set back from and behind the parapets are six low roofs. The most visible of these are a pair of copper truncated hip roofs on each of the sections connecting the building's central block with the wings. The 1909 sections are topped with gable ended roofs with composition roofing. A flat roofed one story penthouse lies atop the section connecting the 1909 west wing to the original building. i A one story square platform with a balustraded parapet rises from the mid-section of the Capitol's central block. The platform is in turn topped by a second platform that is set back from the balustrade and framed by pediments on all four facades. All facades have three vertical windows topped with semi-circular windows. The windows are separated by corinthian columns engaged as pilasters. Flanking the windows are bas relief garlands and torches. The Capitol's copper dome rises from the platform. Four copper half domes protrude from the base of the dome at the platform's corners. The dome is encircled at its base by sixteen "oiels de boeuf" windows, which alternate with panels of bas relief torches and garlands. The dome is topped by a bronze statue of liberty. (See Photo #1 , 6 S 7) FHR-8-300 (11-78) United States Department of the Interior Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form Continuation sheet_____________________Item number 7__________Page 2______ The interior of the Capitol building has undergone a number of changes since 1902. However, important elements of its French Renaissance decor remain. Paradoxically, the Capitol's interior decor exhibits the opulent gilded age taste to which the Capitol's neo-classical exterior features were a reaction. Above the second level, the rotunda still suggests the flowery opera hall style popular in the gilded age (See Photo #8 & 9). Gilded niches at the first and second levels and projecting basket balconies at the second level make the rotunda, according to architectural historian Henry- Russel Hitchcock, "resemble a theatre with boxes." (See Photo #10) Other major features in the rotunda are scagliola columns with gold, composite order caps, an open flaring marble staircase with Newell posts topped by ornamented light standards (See Photo #10), and a band of sixteen circular art glass windows in the dome of the rotunda.